Better Off with Jill Schlesinger

Technology has made our financial lives better and simpler. From banking and investing to shopping and planning a vacation, many of our daily necessities are just a click away. Thanks to Haven Life, you can now add life insurance to the mix. If you’ve ever applied for life insurance coverage, you know that it can be painful. From the multi-page applications to medical exams and records, it used to take weeks, if you were lucky. Founded by our guest, Yaron Ben-Zvi, Haven Life is leveraging technology in order to disrupt the life insurance process and experience. Mark, our producer here at “Better Off,” recently became a customer and couldn’t believe how easy and painless the process was: “I just calculated how much coverage I needed and was covered in about 20 minutes. No joke!” Yaron says that the company's goal is to provide an easier, faster, just plain better way to provide coverage of up to $1 million, by offering: -Simple online application process -No medical exam for qualified, healthy applicants -Easy price and policy comparisons -An immediate decision with InstantTerm -Backing of MassMutual, a 160-year-old life insurer -A plain language no commission policy Just enter the basics, like gender, age, health condition, city, etc. and you’re on your way. Check out Haven Life’s calculators and see what makes sense for you. “Better Off” is sponsored by Betterment. We love feedback so please leave us a rating or review in iTunes. "Better Off" theme music is by Joel Goodman, www.joelgoodman.com. For a recap of every episode, visit https://www.betterment.com/resources/topics/inside-betterment/better-off-podcast/. Connect with me at these places for all my content: http://www.jillonmoney.com/ https://twitter.com/jillonmoney https://www.facebook.com/JillonMoney https://www.instagram.com/jillonmoney/ https://www.youtube.com/c/JillSchlesinger https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillonmoney/ https://soundcloud.com/jill-schlesinger http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/jill-on-money http://betteroffpodcast.com/ https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/better-off-jill-schlesinger/id431167790?mt=2

On the BONUS call this week we talked to John from Houston who had some questions about reducing his tax liability once retirement rolls around. John and his wife are in great shape...these guys are serious savers which has allowed them to sock away $700k in retirement savings with many years left to add to the pot. It was a success as we were able to open John's eyes about the benefits of using his Roth 401(k) plan at work. Have a finance question? We want to hear from you! Email us at askjill@betteroffpodcast.com and we'll arrange to get you on. Don't forget, a brand new episode of the Better Off podcast comes out Thursday so stay tuned for more listener questions plus an informative interview. Better Off is sponsored by Betterment. Please let us know what you think by leaving a rating or review in iTunes. Connect with me at these places for all my content: http://www.jillonmoney.com/ https://twitter.com/jillonmoney https://www.facebook.com/JillonMoney https://www.instagram.com/jillonmoney/ https://www.youtube.com/c/JillSchlesinger https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillonmoney/ https://soundcloud.com/jill-schlesinger http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/jill-on-money http://betteroffpodcast.com/ https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/better-off-jill-schlesinger/id431167790?mt=2

I never take it for granted how fortunate I am to have my job. Let’s be honest, it’s not really a job when you’re doing what you love. And that’s what I get to do as a journalist covering personal finance and economics. With the “job” comes the opportunity to meet many smart, interesting and influential people, some of whom are legit heavyweights within their specific industries and in the world at large. Today’s Better Off guest, the esteemed Dr. Mohamed El-Erian, falls into that category. Of all of the economists and financial services executives that I have been privileged to interview, Mohamed is one of the few who can distill and communicate complicated ideas in a way that all of us can understand. That’s why we’re keeping him around for two episodes...there’s just too much knowledge in his brain to squeeze into one show. While you may have seen or read Dr. El-Erian before—as a guest on CNBC, a LinkedIn Influencer, a columnist for “Bloomberg View,” a contributing editor to the “Financial Times,” and the chief economic advisor for Allianz—our conversations on “Better Off” are rare opportunities where he can delve into a myriad of big picture economic topics for more than the three minutes usually allotted to his appearances. Mohamed’s bestselling book, “The Only Game in Town: Central Banks, Instability, and Avoiding the Next Collapse,” will be released in paperback next month. I encourage everyone to read it, because it was one of my top picks for economics/business books last year. In part two of the interview we talk to Mohamed about the financial concerns keeping him up at night. We also continue our discussion on Brexit and the ongoing crisis in Greece and why that country faces the risk of a lost generation. But it’s not all doom and gloom. Before leaving us, Mohamed touched on the three reasons why he continues to remain optimistic about the global economy. Quick favor to ask...please take two minutes and fill out our listener survey...it's painless and literally takes two minutes, three max. Thank you! https://betterment.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0rcT1aOrD8K9sy1 “Better Off” is sponsored by Betterment. We love feedback so please leave us a rating or review in iTunes. "Better Off" theme music is by Joel Goodman, www.joelgoodman.com. For a recap of every episode, visit https://www.betterment.com/resources/topics/inside-betterment/better-off-podcast/. Connect with me at these places for all my content: http://www.jillonmoney.com/ https://twitter.com/jillonmoney https://www.facebook.com/JillonMoney https://www.instagram.com/jillonmoney/ https://www.youtube.com/c/JillSchlesinger https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillonmoney/ https://soundcloud.com/jill-schlesinger http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/jill-on-money http://betteroffpodcast.com/ https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/better-off-jill-schlesinger/id431167790?mt=2

You're getting ready to buy a new home and have the cash to purchase it outright...should you? Or should you take on a mortgage? That's what Dwayne from Illinois was wondering and we answered his question on the latest BONUS call of the week. Have a finance question? We want to hear from you! Email us at askjill@betteroffpodcast.com and we'll arrange to get you on. Don't forget, a brand new episode of the Better Off podcast comes out Thursday so stay tuned for more listener questions plus an informative interview. Better Off is sponsored by Betterment. Please let us know what you think by leaving a rating or review in iTunes. Connect with me at these places for all my content: http://www.jillonmoney.com/ https://twitter.com/jillonmoney https://www.facebook.com/JillonMoney https://www.instagram.com/jillonmoney/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_4j5YsSRTE6PuY0ZNhBFcQ/videos https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillonmoney/ https://soundcloud.com/jill-schlesinger http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/jill-on-money http://betteroffpodcast.com/ https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/better-off-jill-schlesinger/id431167790?mt=2

I never take it for granted how fortunate I am to have my job. Let’s be honest, it’s not really a job when you’re doing what you love. And that’s what I get to do as a journalist covering personal finance and economics. With the “job” comes the opportunity to meet many smart, interesting and influential people, some of whom are legit heavyweights within their specific industries and in the world at large. Today’s Better Off guest, the esteemed Dr. Mohamed El-Erian, falls into that category. Of all of the economists and financial services executives that I have been privileged to interview, Mohamed is one of the few who can distill and communicate complicated ideas in a way that all of us can understand. That’s why we’re keeping him around for two episodes...there’s just too much knowledge in his brain to squeeze into one show. While you may have seen or read Dr. El-Erian before—as a guest on CNBC, a LinkedIn Influencer, a columnist for “Bloomberg View,” a contributing editor to the “Financial Times,” and the chief economic advisor for Allianz—our conversations on “Better Off” are rare opportunities where he can delve into a myriad of big picture economic topics for more than the three minutes usually allotted to his appearances. Mohamed’s bestselling book, “The Only Game in Town: Central Banks, Instability, and Avoiding the Next Collapse,” will be released in paperback next month. I encourage everyone to read it, because it was one of my top picks for economics/business books last year. In part one of the interview Mohamed touches on the three things he believes every investor needs to be a successful: -An understanding of fundamentals -An understanding of mathematics and discounted cash flows -A solid gut instinct If you only possess one of these attributes—gut instinct—don’t worry! We also discuss passive investing as an alternative to stock picking. As the new administration and Congress roll out various fiscal policies, it was a treat to hear what’s on Mohamed’s wish list. There are measures that the government can take to foster a more inclusive U.S. economy, help boost wage growth and improve the current tax system. And of course, we wouldn’t let him go before getting this UK-educated economist’s view of Brexit! Quick favor to ask...please take two minutes and fill out our listener survey...it's painless and literally takes two minutes, three max. Thank you! https://betterment.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0rcT1aOrD8K9sy1 “Better Off” is sponsored by Betterment. We love feedback so please leave us a rating or review in iTunes. "Better Off" theme music is by Joel Goodman, www.joelgoodman.com. For a recap of every episode, visit https://www.betterment.com/resources/topics/inside-betterment/better-off-podcast/.

This week on the BONUS call we once again chatted student loans with Andrea from New York City...but this time it wasn't about how to pay them off. After many years Andrea is finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and will soon be throwing a party to celebrate. FYI, Mark and I are still waiting for our invite. Anyway, now that the loan will soon be gone, Andrea is wondering what she should do next. I love talking to young people who are interested in bettering their financial lives! Don't forget, a brand new episode of the Better Off podcast comes out Thursday so stay tuned for more listener questions plus an informative interview. Better Off is sponsored by Betterment. Please let us know what you think by leaving a rating in iTunes. Have a question? Email us at askjill@betteroffpodcast.com.

Human Capital: It’s more valuable than any other investment you have and that’s why we often discuss career development and management on Better Off. If you’re one of the lucky ones like me, then you’re doing what you want to do, but it took me some time to get here… Many of you may want to change careers and do something that’s more in line with your passions. There are those who have been laid off, often after spending several years at the same company, and now suddenly have to launch a job search process. Thankfully we live in a day and age where there’s plenty of career finder and guidance websites available to assist. Enter The Muse, founded in 2011 by Alexandra Cavoulacos and Kathryn Minshew. Alex and Kathryn, both millennials, decided to launch the site after working together in the consulting world and realizing it wasn’t what they wanted out of life. Fast forward to present day -- 50 million people visit The Muse each year to determine what they want to do with their lives. The success and popularity of the site encouraged Alex and Kathryn to write a guidebook for the modern workplace. “The New Rules of Work: The Modern Playbook for Navigating Your Career” is designed to help, whether you are starting out in your career, looking to advance, navigating a mid-career shift or anywhere in between. Through exercises and tips, you will learn: -The New Rules for finding the right path: Sift through, and narrow today’s ever-growing menu of job and career options, using the simple step-by-step Muse Method -The New Rules for landing the perfect job: Build your personal brand, and communicate exactly how you can contribute and why your experience is valuable in a way that is sure to get the attention of your dream employer. Then ace every step of the interview process, from getting a foot in the door to negotiating your offer. -The New Rules for growing and advancing in your career: Mastering first impressions, the art of communication, networking, managing up and other “soft” skills. Regardless of where you’re at on your career trajectory, you’re bound to find some tips in this book that will help you navigate your professional journey. “Better Off” is sponsored by Betterment. We love feedback so please leave us a rating or review in iTunes. "Better Off" theme music is by Joel Goodman, www.joelgoodman.com. For a recap of every episode, visit https://www.betterment.com/resources/topics/inside-betterment/better-off-podcast/.

On April 10th, the Department of Labor's Fiduciary Rule was scheduled to go into effect. It didn't happen. Instead, there's now at least a 60 day delay. What does this mean and what should consumers expect going forward? Will this rule ever be implemented? To discuss these questions and more, I held a brief round-table discussion with Jon Stein, the CEO of Betterment, Maureen Thompson, Vice President of Public Policy at the CFP Board and Micah Hauptman, Financial Services Counsel at the Consumer Federation of America. Our BONUS call of the week will return next Tuesday, so if you have a question, email us at askjill@betteroffpodcast.com.

By now you know that on the Better Off podcast we talk about more than just the nuts and bolts of investments and economics. Our mission is to help you take control of your financial life, and that includes helping you better yourself, invest in yourself, and ultimately, become an all around better off individual. One of the amazing byproducts of leaving a full time career in investment management and entering the news business is that I now meet (and have the privilege to interview) a wide range of incredibly smart people. While at times I can take that for granted, every once in awhile, I host a guest who helps me realize just how lucky I have it. That’s what happened when Retired Admiral William “Bill” McRaven walked into the studio last week and talked to me for about 45 minutes. It happened to be the day after the U.S. had launched airstrikes against Syria, which made the visit timely. If Bill’s name sounds familiar, it’s because he presided over the 2011 Navy SEAL raid that resulted in the killing of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan. Bill was the man who identified the body when it was flown back to Afghanistan and told President Obama that the U.S. finally had their guy. A few years later in 2014, the four-star admiral and 37-year Navy SEAL veteran delivered the commencement speech at his alma mater, the University of Texas at Austin (Hook ‘em Horns!). Little did McRaven know that his address, which spoke to how students could overcome challenges and change themselves, would become a viral hit with nearly 25 million views online. In January, 2015 Bill became the Chancellor of the entire University of Texas system and was encouraged to expand his commencement speech into a book, Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life...And Maybe the World. The ten fundamental life lessons McRaven learned in Navy Seal training resonate with all of us, but these are three of my favorite: -If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed -If you want to change the world, find someone to help you paddle -If you want to change the world, you must be your very best in the darkest moment We love feedback so please leave us a rating or review in iTunes. "Better Off" theme music is by Joel Goodman, www.joelgoodman.com. For a recap of every episode, visit https://www.betterment.com/resources/topics/inside-betterment/better-off-podcast/.

We like to keep investing as simple as possible on the Better Off podcast. It's really not rocket science...in many ways, less truly is more. However, one tricky thing that can be confusing and one thing that you really need to keep an eye on is the tax implications of your various investments. That's what Brandon from San Antonio was struggling with. We're pretty sure we helped him out on the latest BONUS call of the week. Don't forget, a brand new episode of the Better Off podcast comes out Thursday so stay tuned for more listener questions plus an informative interview. Better Off is sponsored by Betterment. Please let us know what you think by leaving a rating in iTunes. Have a question? Email us at askjill@betteroffpodcast.com.

One of the goals of the Better Off podcast is to make the daunting seem doable. And there is no more daunting topic than college. From saving for it, going through the selection process and the heavy lifting of paying for it (whether out of pocket or through financial aid and student loans), the whole subject produces anxiety for students and their families. But it doesn’t have to be that way, according to our guest Kelly Peeler, founder and CEO of NextGenVest, a free text message service to help students navigate the college selection and financial aid and student loan processes. It’s the busy time of year for Kelly and her team, as college acceptances are rolling in and families are trying to figure what to do with all the various forms. And those forms are KEY. Can you believe that more than $2.7 billion dollars, yes billion with a B, of unclaimed financial aid money is left on the table every single year primarily because people don’t fill out the FAFSA form. That blows my mind. By using NextGenVest, students and their families are connected with Money Mentors who will help coach them through the process and also provide key financial aid deadline reminders, form annotations, and on-demand help via text message to get more financial aid in high school and beyond. Mentors will also answer questions such as: -How do I find scholarships I can actually apply to? -Am I filling out the right FAFSA forms? -Am I allowed to negotiate my college tuition? -Is working during college a good idea? -Can I still get scholarships even if I don’t have great grades? Aside from discussing the dreaded but necessary forms, we also talked to Kelly about the student loan bubble and why she feels it could be the next financial crisis. If you enjoyed the episode please let us know by leaving a rating or review in iTunes. "Better Off" theme music is by Joel Goodman, www.joelgoodman.com. For a recap of every episode, visit https://www.betterment.com/resources/topics/inside-betterment/better-off-podcast/.

Are you retired? Retiring soon? Perhaps are younger and wondering if you'll have enough money when the time comes? That's what the latest BONUS call with Alison from California is all about. Alison is only in her 50s but already decided to call it quits and is now wondering if she made a mistake. Considering life expectancy is much longer these days, especially for women, she has many, many years to plan for. Let us know what you think with a comment and rating in iTunes! Don't forget, a brand new episode of the Better Off podcast comes out Thursday so stay tuned for more listener questions plus an informative interview. Better Off is sponsored by Betterment. Have a question? Email us at askjill@betteroffpodcast.com.

When you hear my unabashed enthusiasm and connection with today’s guest, Nicole Lapin, I think you will understand why we hit it off so quickly. Nicole, already an accomplished journalist by her thirtieth birthday, expanded her reach with the 2015 release of her New York Times bestseller, “Rich Bitch”. Yes, that’s the title. Before you start going nuts, CALM DOWN. Nicole’s premise is simple: she wanted to own that word and use it to entice those who might not necessarily pick up a personal finance book. Nicole’s latest book, which is laugh out loud funny, is called “Boss Bitch: A Simple 12-Step Plan to Take Charge of Your Career”. Despite the title of both of her books, they are not exclusively for women. Both are about taking charge, no matter who you are. Boss Bitch is about being a boss without having a business card or dozens of employees to prove it. Here are some topics that that Nicole explores: -Be the CEO of YOU by running your life like a business -Think like a boss by being entrepreneurial within an existing company -Getting, and crushing, your dream job -Be a hustler by exploring your passions and making extra money -The nuts and bolts of getting your OWN business off the ground Nicole’s steps jibe with one of the common themes of Better Off: Investing in YOURSELF, bettering yourself to become better off in life and in your career will pay more dividends than any investment! These are not unique concepts, but like diet and exercise, just a few small steps often lead to long-lasting improvements. I had so much fun with this interview that I can’t wait for Nicole’s next book! I suspect it will have a certain word in the title... “Better Off” is sponsored by Betterment. "Better Off" theme music is by Joel Goodman, www.joelgoodman.com. Please leave us a rating or review in iTunes! For a recap of every episode, visit https://www.betterment.com/resources/topics/inside-betterment/better-off-podcast/.

This week on the BONUS call we talked to Brian from Seattle who was wondering if he should still be paying for disability insurance. Insurance questions are always tricky and very specific so there's no standard answer. Give it a listen...who knows, you or somebody you know may be in a similar situation. As always, let us know what you think by leaving a rating or review in iTunes. Don't forget, a brand new episode of the Better Off podcast comes out Thursday so stay tuned for more listener questions plus an informative interview. Better Off is sponsored by Betterment. Have a question? Email us at askjill@betteroffpodcast.com.

We like to mix it up and try new things every now and then on “Better Off.” Earlier this month, for the first time, we featured one guest (Jason Zweig) on back-to-back episodes. This week, it’s another first for us, one that’s all about you guys, our awesome listeners. We’ve been getting so many email questions on a variety of topics we thought it would be a good idea to devote an entire episode to answering your questions. Sure, I could do this on my own but thought it would be much more fun to have a partner in crime, so I borrowed Alex Benke, CFP®, from our sponsor, Betterment. Betterment recently announced new service plans which offer access to a team of CFP® professionals and licensed financial experts to help customers with their more complicated financial issues. We’re borrowing a page from that model and answering your questions! We started off helping Stephen from Florida with retirement planning. Like many, Stephen feels he got a late start and wants to make sure he’s now on the right path. Howard from Atlanta is in pretty good shape with a nice chunk of money socked away, but he wanted a second opinion to see if there’s anything he could be doing better or if there’s something he should stop doing. Andrew from Illinois recently inherited retirement money after his father passed away. With the inheritance comes the responsibility of RMDs, taxes, etc. It can be a lot for someone to process so Alex and I were more than happy to lend a helping hand to Andrew. We finished up this episode with Peter in Michigan who finds himself in a common situation: He’s carrying piles of student loan debt, as in $200,000. Peter was wondering if it made more sense to increase his 401(k) contribution or put some extra cash toward the student loans? Here’s a tease...Alex and I had different opinions on this one. :) I hope you enjoyed this special episode. Who knows, maybe we’ll start doing it on a more regular basis. I’ve always found that people love hearing other people ask questions because chances are, they were wondering the same thing but were too afraid to ask. Don’t be afraid! If you have a question, email us at askjill@betteroffpodcast.com. “Better Off” is sponsored by Betterment. Please leave us a rating or review in iTunes. "Better Off" theme music is by Joel Goodman, www.joelgoodman.com. For a recap of every episode, visit https://www.betterment.com/resources/topics/inside-betterment/better-off-podcast/.